Lenovo ThinkPad Helix

Introduction

This is a template for a future compatibility guide to running Linux with the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix laptop. If you have the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix and are running Linux on it please consider editing this page or adding a comment below with your compatibility details. By contributing you will help other people running this laptop or trying to make a decision on whether to buy it or not.

Linux Compatibility

Only works on kernels 3.13 and up with acpi_osi=”!Windows 2012“ and video.use_native_backlight=1

HDD

Yes

Graphics Chip

Yes

Display Port

Yes

Sound

Yes

Microphone

Yes

Headphone Port

Not Tested

Microphone-In Port

Not Tested

Ethernet

Yes

Wireless

Yes

Bluetooth

Yes

WWAN

Yes

USB

Yes

Webcam

Yes

Keyboard

Yes

TouchPad

Yes

Size is not detected correctly, and there is no support for the top software buttons for the TrackPoint. Patches for both of these have gone upstream to their respective source trees however, and should make it into most distributions soon.

Suspend/Resume

Yes

Power LED on keyboard dock does not reset

NFC

No

Sensors

No

Notes

A patch for making the laptop detect the touchpad's size properly can be found here: https://patchwork.kernel.org/patch/3792491/
Support for softbuttons for the trackpoint has been in xf86-input-synaptics since 1.7.99.1
In addition I'm working on a kernel patch for making the sensors work, they just require a special quirk for them to poweron, although as of right now not many programs can actually make use of them.